


Mood For a Melody

by twobirdsonesong



Series: For What Binds Us [5]
Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Established Relationship, For What Binds Us, Future Fic, M/M, Post Glee, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 13:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2623058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twobirdsonesong/pseuds/twobirdsonesong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darren and Conner have a little night out, so of course Darren finds a piano.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mood For a Melody

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Features Darren/OMC, though the absolute endgame of the series is CrissColfer, which can be seen in the main body of the fic as well as the one shots that follow.
> 
> This one shot is set before the previous one, so at this point in the timeline Chris and Darren have not yet reconciled.

“I’m bored.”  
  
Conner looks up from the papers he’s grading to find Darren standing next to the kitchen table, a hopeful look on his scruffy face. “Okay.”

 

“So let’s do something.”  Darren is already wearing nice jeans and a nice shirt and Conner is pretty sure he did something with his hair as it’s slightly less a mess than usual.  He must have showered because just hours ago he was in grungy work clothes and streaked with dirt from the garden.

 

Conner is teaching three classes this quarter and even though each class is relatively small, he really doesn’t want to get behind on his grading.  He prides himself at his quick turnaround of the papers he assigns.

 

“I’ve got work,” he points out and Darren just rolls his eyes.

 

“So?”

 

“So…” Conner gestures to the papers stacked across the kitchen table.  He’d rather get done now so they can enjoy the weekend without the threat of late Sunday night grading looming.

 

But a mischievous light enters Darren’s eyes. “If you finish grading can we go out?”

 

Conner presses his lips together.  Darren gets like this time sometimes, that inescapable urge to go out and do something, to be seen and heard.  It’s not often – they’re happy with their quiet lives – but every once and a while the itch that kept Darren going for so long needs to be scratched.  And Conner does so love to see Darren happy.

 

“Yes,” Conner concedes.  “When I finish we can go out.”

 

Grinning, Darren tugs a chair out and plops himself down in it. “All right, how can I help?”

 

“You can’t grade these papers.  It’s…unethical.”

 

“Sure I can.” Darren grabs a stack at random and slides it closer to him.  “I went to college.  You have grading criteria.  I can read through boring ass papers about whatever the hell it is you teach and decide the fates of worried undergrads.  Come on, it’ll be fun.”

 

Conner wants to protest, but Darren nudges his foot under the table and his smile is luminous.  “Fine.”

 

***  


Two hours later Conner is sitting at the bar in a charming little place in town that they’ve gone to before while Darren has commandeered the piano.

 

It had taken all of 15 minutes for Darren to charm his way behind the keys and now Conner is left at the bar, listening.

 

He doesn’t mind.  Watching Darren perform – even just a few songs accompanied by nothing but a piano – is its own kind of pleasure.  He’s ebullient when he plays, face bright and open and honest, and he’s completely enrapturing.  Conner can see the way the patrons in the bar have stopped their conversations and turned their attention towards Darren, perhaps even unconsciously.  He singing some jazz standard that Conner knows from his grandmother’s records and his own living room. He’s heard Darren sing it before, softly to himself while he busies around the house.

 

Conner knows Darren has a studio in the attic and that sometimes he shuts himself up there to record something that’s popped into his mind.  He doesn’t ask much about it, knowing that if Darren wants him to hear what he’s created he’ll play it for him. And Conner is a patient man.

 

The song ends with a flourish and applause and Darren slides off the piano bench, giving it back its rightful owner. Conner lifts his glass to Darren as he comes winding his way through the close tables to the bar. He doesn’t take a seat on a bar stool, choosing instead to stand between Conner’s thighs.

 

“Oh, so you remember I’m here,” Conner teases, settling a hand on Darren’s hip, and Darren pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

 

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Darren plucks the drink from his other hand and downs the rest of it.

 

“You going to buy me another?”

 

Darren shakes his head as he pushes the empty glass across the bar top.  “I’m the entertainment,” he says.  “You _buy_ me drinks. Those are the rules.”

 

“Oh, so you thought that was entertaining?” Conner squeezes Darren’s hip, fingers slipping under the waist of his pants. With Darren standing while he sits on a bar stool, Conner has to look up a bit to meet his eyes.

 

“You loved it.  You couldn’t take your eyes off me.  Don’t deny it.  I was watching you, mister.”

 

“I know you were,” Conner agrees.  It’s impossible to miss the looks Darren throws him sometimes, free and easy as rain, and Conner cherishes them all.

 

“You love me.” Darren says and his fingers are crawling up the buttons of Conner’s shirt like they aren’t in the middle of a bar.

 

Conner shrugs.  “Maybe. A little.  I guess.”  He tries to hold back a smile, but he can feel his lips twitching.

 

“Hey fuck you,” Darren laughs.

  
“Later.”

  
Darren snorts, but he’s grinning so brightly his eyes disappear. “Can we order some food?”

 

“Already did.  A couple minutes ago.  I can always tell when you’re wrapping up.”

 

Darren knocks his hip into Conner’s thigh. “Creeper.  You better have gotten me a burger with fries,” he warns.

 

“You’ll eat what I bought you.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“We’re getting more drinks,” Darren states with confidence. “And then I’m playing a few more songs.”

 

“Are you now?”

 

Darren nods.  “Then you’re taking me home.”

 

“Am I?”  Conner looks up at Darren and blinks slowly.

 

“You are.”  The ease with which Darren says it makes Conner’s chest tight.

 

He doesn’t know how long he’ll get to have this, have Darren.  But he doesn’t worry about it, not the way others might.  He’s happy and Darren is too and however long their time is together, it’s good.

 

And whatever happens after that will be good too.


End file.
